Nightmare
by mitchkat1
Summary: Everyone has their fears, their anxieties. We keep them concealed, but when we sleep, they are allowed to run free. They terrify and torment us until we can escape back to reality. But even then, they don't disappear completely. And even the greatest detectives are allowed to cry (Slightly angsty oneshot)


Walking home from school that day, Conan wasn't feeling particularly great. His nose was runny and his head pounded with every thought. He noticed that since becoming a child, he tended to get sick more often. If it was because of his younger body or being surrounded by germy first graders, he wasn't sure. All he did know was that he felt awful.

"Are you feeling okay, Conan-kun?" Ayumi asked, forcing the Detective Boys to stop on their daily walk home from school. "You don't look so good!"

Seeing Ayumi's concerns, Mitsuhiko smacked his hand against Conan's forehead to check his temperature. "He's burning up!" He cried, beginning to panic. "You need to get home right away!"

"Edogawa-kun is always getting sick, isn't he?" Ai chuckled to herself. She stuck her hands in her pockets and glanced at him, a smug smile across her face. Conan frowned. He was unamused by Haibara's muted teasing since he was so often a victim of it.

"Maybe he should call his _neechan_ to come get him?" Genta added in a teasing tone. "Then I'm sure he'd feel a lot better!"

"Knock it off, Genta!" Conan grumbled as he kicked a rock with his foot. He stared down at the sidewalk, his face flushed. He pretended it was due to his fever, but everyone knew it wasn't true. They might be children, but they weren't born yesterday.

Ayumi quickly rose to Conan's defense. "Don't tease him!" she cried. "He's sick!" She wrapped her arms around him in a deep hug and frowned at Genta and Mitsuhiko. "So you boys better leave him alone!"

Conan learned to deal with Ayumi's doting love. Her affection for Conan was equally evident. She was starstruck by the intelligent and oddly mature child. Conan always remained calm even in the worst situations. Ayumi knew she could count on him for anything. It didn't hurt that he was cute either.

Unfortunately, Mitsuhiko and Genta tended to get jealous of Conan since he seemed to keep Ayumi to himself. Her hugging Conan only made things worse. As their irritation rose, they clenched their fists, prepared to verbally fight for the love of their seven year old sweetheart. Haibara could hardly contain her laughter. The children never failed to entertain her.

"He can't hide it!" Genta cooed. He playfully punched Conan in the shoulder, though it was harder than usual. "Everyone knows that Conan loves Ran-neechan! He's always blushing when she holds his hand!"

Conan growled as the teasing kept coming. "I bet he loves it when she tucks him in every night and makes him dinner! Just like a married couple!" Genta and Mitsuhiko nearly fell to the ground laughing. Conan hardly had the strength to respond with a witty retort. He was tired and just needed some sleep.

Haibara clapped her hands loudly, silencing everyone. "Settle down..." she said in her usual, calm tone. "It isn't fair to tease Edogawa-kun while he's sick even if you are right." The boys shut their mouths. No one wanted to mess with an angry Haibara.

"Thanks for nothing," Conan muttered under his breath. He tried to take a step forward, but temporarily the world went fuzzy. Conan grabbed onto Genta to keep himself from falling over. His sickness was especially bad this time. It was a miracle he made it through the school day.

"Lucky for you, we're here," Haibara said, pointing up at the familiar detective agency windows. "Your neechan will take good care of you."

Frowning, Conan began to walk up the stairs, not feeling inclined to say goodbye to anybody.

"Get well soon!" Ayumi called. He weakly waved back and then disappeared into the detective agency, relieved to finally have some peace and quiet. Until he heard the clamour of cheering mixed with the sounds of televised horse races and crunching beer cans.

"C'mon! C'mon!" Kogoro yelled as he slammed his hands on his desk. "GO! GO! GO!" A slew of papers and beer cans came flying off the desk. This eccentric behavior was usual when the famous Sleeping Kogoro wasn't on a case. Both Conan and Ran found it annoying especially when they were forced to clean after his messes.

"Otousan!" someone scolded the middle aged man from the kitchen. Ran came out, drying off a bowl with a dishrag. She had probably just gotten home from school and was planning on starting dinner. She would have gotten started earlier if _someone_ hadn't left a pile of dirty dishes in the sink.

"This is your fifth one!" Ran scowled, pointing at the beer can in his hand. "And your last!" She set down the bowl and dishrag and angrily strided towards Kogoro's desk. She scooped up the remaining beers much to Kogoro's whining. Stomping her feet, she returned them to the refrigerator in the kitchen, then returned to the main room to retrieve the dish she was drying.

That's when she noticed Conan had come home. It took only a few seconds for her to realize he wasn't feeling well. His hair was sweaty and his cheeks flushed. His shoulders drooped while he moaned to himself. The signs were obvious. Ran hated seeing the poor baby sick, but it did mean she got to take care of him.

"Conan-kun!" she cried as she rushed towards him. He jumped at the sudden call, but didn't move. Ran placed her hand against his forehead to check his temperature. If he hadn't already been sick, Conan knew his face would have turned bright red. Since he was a child, Ran didn't have any worries about innocently touching him. Too bad Conan did.

Ran stepped away with a frown. "You've got a fever. I'll lay out the futon for you to lie down. I'll get you a cold towel too."

She guided him into the bedroom where she pulled out the futon for him to sleep on. A sudden chill overcame so he buried himself with blankets. Ran disappeared for a moment, promising to be right back. In the meantime, Conan took off his glasses and placed them by the side of the futon. A weak groan escaped his mouth which was dry like cotton. He needed a glass of water.

Thankfully, Ran was prepared for everything. She returned with a cold towel, glass of water, and medicine. "Take this," she smiled, handing the pills to Conan. He quickly swallowed them, followed by a large gulp of water. He prayed the meds would kick in fast. He felt like he was dying.

Conan laid back down and Ran carefully placed the cold towel on his forehead. "Does that feel better?" she asked sweetly. Conan nodded, grateful for the care. Whenever he got sick, Ran always came through. She was better than any nurse and would sometimes buy him fun treats like ice cream if he was feeling better. Despite being secretly seventeen, Conan could never say no to ice cream.

Ran shut off the lights, about to leave the room. "If you need anything, just let me know," she told Conan. Instead of response, she only heard his quiet snores. The child had already fallen asleep. Ran giggled and shut the door, careful not to make a sound.

On the outside of the room, Ran leaned against the door, daydreaming to herself. " _He really reminds me of Shinichi,"_ she thought. " _The last time that detective freak got sick, I waited on him hand and foot! But I guess I wouldn't let anyone take of him but me."_

A slight smile formed at the memory. She could recall it vividly. Shinichi went home sick that day and as soon as she was out of school, she headed to his house. Ran found him in bed, moaning and groaning. His parents were away so he had no one to take care of him. Ran wondered why he hadn't called her until he admitted he was too embarrassed.

Ran spent the rest of that afternoon taking care of him. She bought him medicine and an ice pack. While he rested, she cooked porridge and cleaned up the kitchen. Once he woke up, she brought him his food, watching him while he ate. "It tastes so boring!" she recalled him complaining.

Ran rolled her eyes and replied, "That's because you're sick! It isn't supposed to taste like anything!" To shut him up, she took a spoonful of porridge and shoved it in his mouth.

Shinichi quickly pulled the spoon out of her hand and swallowed the porridge. "It is pretty good though..." he mumbled to himself, furiously blushing. Then before he could say much more, he had fallen back asleep.

" _I really hope he comes back soon,"_ Ran sighed, returning to reality. " _It's only been a month or two since I last saw him, but it feels like forever. He hasn't called lately either. I hope he hasn't gotten into any trouble."_ Before Ran let herself continue to worry, she decided to start preparing dinner. That would get her mind off things.

Conan didn't often have nightmares. They came every now and then, but were typically mild. This one, however, was worse than anything he experienced before. Maybe it was because of the fever. Maybe it was from the medicine. Whatever it was, it was terrifying.

 **The nightmare began as a dream. He was sitting in class, pushing his pencil back and forth across the desk. He wasn't Conan, but Shinichi. His classmates chatted amongst themselves while their teacher wrote something on the board. Shinichi hummed an old song to himself in celebration of his good mood. Most teenagers would hate being in school, but Shinichi felt relieved. It felt good to be back.**

 **A set of hands landed on his desk. Shinichi glanced up to find Ran with a huge smile on her face. "Ran..." Shinichi gasped, his heart lurching. He hadn't talked to her like this in so long. He missed being taller than her and gently teasing when they hung out. He missed the way she occasionally blushed when she talked about him or how her voice went high when she was embarrassed.**

" **Shinichi!" Ran grinned, her hands behind her back. "Meet me in the classroom at 6:00! I have something to tell you!" Before Shinichi could ask what, Ran skipped away to talk to Sonoko. Full of longing, Shinichi watched her, a lovestruck gaze plastered across his face. Even from behind, Ran looked gorgeous. God, he missed this.**

 **The rest of class felt like it passed by in a matter of seconds. The blue sky changed to a deep orange as the sun began to set. Even after class let out, Shinichi stayed glued to his seat. He eagerly awaited Ran's arrival.**

" _ **What does she want to say?"**_ **He wondered, taking on his usual thinking pose.** " _ **Is it about class? No, she wouldn't call me out just for that. It's something she doesn't want anyone else to here... something secret. Could it be... No... but maybe? A answer to my confession?"**_

 **Shinichi's stomach churned at the thought. He hadn't thought about what to do when Ran answered. Being Conan stopped him from thinking that far. That wasn't a problem anymore. He and Ran could... What could they do? Would they start dating? What would that even mean?**

 **The classroom door slid open. Ran stood in the doorway, her eyes narrowed on Shinichi. "Ran!" Shinichi stood up, nearly knocking his chair over. The sunset cast a shadow over the room, both illuminating Ran's face and shrouding it in darkness.**

" **Shinichi..." Ran's voice was low. Her bangs hung in front of her eyes, masking her expression. She sounded more serious than before.**

" _ **Is this what confessions are normally like?"**_ **Shinichi wondered. He rubbed his sweaty palms on his uniform pants, taking a breath to stay calm.**

" **Ran, what did you want to talk about?" Shinichi asked. He approached her, but she held out her hand, signaling him to stop. He cocked his head, confused. Ran's behavior was weird. "What's the matter?" asked Shinichi, now concerned. "Is something wrong?"**

 **Ran's gaze met his. Her eyes were cold. "Why didn't you tell me?"**

" **What are you talking about?"**

" **Why didn't you tell me?"**

" **Ran... Speak clearly. What's going on? Are you feeling okay?"**

" **Why didn't you tell me?!"**

 **A sharp pain shot through Shinichi's body. He crumpled to the ground, letting out an agonizing scream. His bones felt like they were melting, his body on fire. He gasped for air as he clawed at the ground, screaming. Ran stared at him, her expression unchanging.**

" **Why didn't you tell me?"**

 **The pain evaporated. Shinichi's breaths were long and labored. "Ran..." he wheezed, trying to stand. Then, he realized how tall she looked, how high his voice was, how large everything around him appeared. With one glance at himself, his worst nightmare became reality. He was Conan again, glasses and all.**

" **Ran!" Conan shouted, throwing his glasses aside. He had been outed and all he could do now was tell her the truth. "I-I wanted too! I promise! I didn't want to put you in danger. The men in the black, they-"**

" **You lied to me." Ran's tone turned bitter.**

" **I didn't lie!" Conan protested. "I couldn't tell you! I wanted to protect you! There's so much you don't know yet. There are bad people out there and I don't want them to hurt you. Please! You have to understand!"**

" **Why should I care about a liar? Why couldn't you trust me?" Her voice wavered. "I waited for you everyday. I checked my phone everyday, praying for a message from you. I spent nights crying because I was worried about you." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "You let me suffer because you didn't want to tell me the truth!"**

" **You're aren't listening!" Conan cried back. He grabbed onto her skirt, pleading.**

" **I'm done listening. You don't deserve to be listened to." Ran knocked him off her, sending him to the ground. She didn't hit him hard, but the area she contacted stung like a thousand needles. Her hand reached for the door, gripping the side so tightly her knuckles turned white.**

" **Goodbye Shinichi... No, goodbye Conan." And then the door slammed shut.**

" **RAN!"**

 **Conan sprinted towards the door and whipped it open. The hallway was dark and empty, not a soul in sight. "RAN!" he screamed into the void. He screamed it again and again until his voice went hoarse. Still, no one answered.**

 **At that moment, the bubble burst. All his anxieties, his greatest fears exploded at once. His most important person hated his guts and never wanted to see him again. As Shinichi, he had always taken Ran's presence for granted. He couldn't imagine a time when she wasn't there. Now, here he was. Alone.**

 **A lump formed in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to see what was in front of him.** " _ **It's not real... It's not true!"**_ **he told himself.** " _ **It can't be happening."**_ **But he couldn't forget what he saw. Her tears, her anger, her grief. They were all too real.**

" _ **Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."**_

 **The tears began to flow. At first, it was just one that ran slowly along his cheek. It was followed by another and then another. Conan fell to the floor, his knees hitting the wooden surface hard. He didn't notice the pain as he cried even harder. His chest heaved with each sob. His hands grasped at the air, hoping to feel the familiar warmth of someone else's.**

 **Conan had never cried this hard before. It could be that being a child made him more emotional, but he doubted it. It felt like his heart was ripped out. His entire body was numb. Salty tears dripped onto his pants as Conan hung his head.**

" **Ran..."**

Conan awoke to someone shaking him. "Conan-kun..." a soft voice whispered. "Conan-kun... wake up."

His eyelids fluttered open. The room was still dark, but he could see Ran holding his hand, watching over him. He felt something warm on his cheek. When he went to touch it, he realized whatever it was wet. Then it struck him. They were tears.

"You were having a nightmare," Ran explained as she helped him sit up. She sat on her knees and smiled at him. "You kept calling my name. Are you okay?" Her eyes were so warm unlike in the dream. She rubbed his back, offering comfort. "Everything's alright now. I'm right here."

Conan stared at her. " _It was all a nightmare..."_ he thought, his lip quivering. " _It... wasn't real."_ Ran was here in front of him. She wasn't going to leave. She didn't hate him. Right now, she was with him, Shinichi or not. And he never wanted her to leave.

Ran let out a gasp as Conan leaned over and hugged her. He wrapped his tiny arms around her waist and buried his head in her chest. Although he said nothing, Ran could hear him softly crying. It shocked her. Conan acted mature for his age. Sometimes she forgot that he was still a child. A child that needed her love.

"There, there..." Ran whispered as she hugged him tightly. She stroked his head, patting down his unruly hair. "It's all over."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh Conan-kun! You don't need to apologize for anything," Ran sighed, pulling him even closer. "Everyone has nightmares."

Conan continued to cry for a few minutes. Ran's shirt dampened as Conan rubbed his face against it. She didn't say anything. It wasn't the time.

" _I wonder what he had a nightmare about?"_ Ran wondered as Conan sniffled. " _The poor thing..."_

Finally, the tears stopped. Conan lifted his head and quickly moved away from Ran once he realized what had happened. " _What am I doing?"_ he thought, horrified. He wiped his nose and scolded himself. " _What kind of self-respecting detective cries like that?"_

Ran noticed Conan's flustered expression. " _It's cute,"_ she smiled. " _Boys always get so embarrassed about crying, but there's nothing wrong with that. Everyone needs to cry sometimes."_

"Conan-kun, come here again," Ran said, gesturing for Conan to move close. Cautiously, he leaned forward, still flustered. He felt too mortified to see her face.

Noticing this, Ran lifted his chin with her hand. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, okay?" Conan didn't respond at first. She raised an eyebrow and repeated, "Okay?" Conan nodded, twiddling his thumbs.

"Good!" Ran grinned. "I'll go grab you some more water and you should try to go back to sleep. You still have a high fever!"

Conan turned away, worried he might have another nightmare. He didn't want to repeat this again.

"I have an idea!" Ran pushed back Conan's hair and gently kissed him on the forehead. "A good luck charm," she explained. "It will keep the bad dreams away!"

Conan's jaw dropped as Ran stood up and left the room. He touched his hand to his forehead. Where Ran's lips touched felt like they were on fire, but it was a pleasurable burn. " _Ran..."_ Conan smiled as he laid back down. " _I'll tell you the truth someday... I promise."_


End file.
